A Dark Future
by orphan mia
Summary: The future of the Three Worlds. It's been over 40 years, and Botan just had her first contact with the old team. What do they plan to do about the new Ruler? HB REVIEW CH. 3 UP!
1. Death of Koenma

A Dark Future : Death of Koenma

A/N: This was inspired by the movie V for Vendetta, I recommend it for all. This is going to be a different kind of story, sure, there will be HB, as always, but it will be slightly darker in order to get the message across. Read, Review, and enjoy

I

_It was raining red in Ningenkai. Black clouds thundered_ _overhead and humans ran into their homes, or drove away. That was just the beginning. Rivers overflowed, volcanoes erupted, hurricanes raged and tsunamis destroyed cities. _

_It was the beginning of the end. Enma had died, leaving his son in charge. For a while, it was good. All was peaceful, for the most part, and the Three Worlds coexisted in harmony. As you can see, this is not true anymore. _

_That is because, Koenma died just a short few minutes ago._

_A man, a powerful spiritual being had poisoned him. He was deeply set on religion and its impact on the nigen community. He gained followers. He gained support. And he gained the trust of Koenma. I knew that he shouldn't have. I told him myself, but he told me that I was being ridiculous. _

_Now, I wish I had pressed my boss further. Makai and Ningenkai are enslaved to Rekai. Anyone who protests are "taken". Of course, the Rekai government do not use the word "enslave". It's just the way it is. Rekai is superior and everyone else is beneath them. _

_Nigens have it good compared to the demons. Demons are looked at as deformed monsters. Most of them haven't survived the Rekai cleansing. Nigens are just viewed as brainless, pathetic creatures that are either for amusement or labor. _

_Life the way I knew it is over. Everything has changed now that Koenma is dead. We are standing on the brink of insanity, each world about to strike out and kill something else. Sometimes I have dreams of what life was once like. Rescuing Yukina. Being Yusuke's assistant. Working under the charge of Koenma. Being friends with the Rekai Tentei. They all seem so surreal compared to the world I must endure every day. A world of hate. Death. Darkness. Pain._

_May the spirit of Koenma had mercy on our souls._

II

(Botan's POV)

I was working in Rekai. Many things have changed. The hustle and bustle was lost along with color since Koenma... died. We all have to wear new uniforms. Grey dresses or shirt and pants. It wasn't like that before. It used to be different color kimonos, and we even had the privilege of dressing in what we wanted when we got off of work.

Not anymore. I was demoted to a soul accountant. So was Ayame. Ever since _He _came into power. He walked past me. He was short, old, and not all that attractive. His hair was pepper grey and he wore a black suit with nice shoes. He was always surrounded by big and strong demons. The only demons that have a decent way of life.

Every day is the same. Deaths were regulated, and souls were judged based upon what religion they believed in. That was another thing that Koenma or Enma never did. Religion is an opinion and it is not justice to condemn a soul based upon a mere belief.

When work was over, I had to scan a card I was given under a machine, telling them that Botan had left the building and was going home. I sighed as I opened the door to my apartment. Over the many years of this takeover I had lost all happiness.

Many nights I cried myself to sleep, but I have to do it quietly because of the bugs in my room. By bugs I mean listening devices that listen to make sure that nothing unusual goes on. I changed out of my grey dress and put on my flannel pajamas. During the modification to everyday life, we were allowed to keep one thing. I chose my pajamas.

I pulled back the covers when I felt something. A tug at the back of my mind, like someone else was in my thoughts. For a moment, my mind flashed with many memories. Yusuke, Kurama, Kuwabara, and Hiei. Being threatened to keep my mouth shut about Yukina being Hiei's sister. I smiled at the thought.

_I would give anything to get threatened like that again. _But, soon I bit down tears as my dreams were crushed by the reality that consumes my life. _The Rekai Tentei is probably dead. _I ran my fingers through my blue hair, trying to blink my tears away.

When it failed to work, I threw on my dress and a darker grey coat over it, walking down the stairs. _Screw the curfew, I need to be outside! _My steps were fast as I walked down the wet and dreary street.

I wasn't thinking as I ran into someone. It was a demon comber. A comber is a person, usually a hired demon by our new ruler, who searched for anyone who was up past curfew.

"Hey there, beautiful, what are you doing up so late at night?"

My heart hammered in my chest.

"I-I was just heading home. I was feeling sick and I–"

The demon's tongue flickered out.

"Feeling sick, eh? So am I."

He reached for me, but I dodged back, fear coursing through me.

"Look, I'm sorry, please, just let me go home and I swear–"

"You swear? I bet you do. But, spare the punishment," he raised his clawed hand to strike her, "spoil the child!"

I put my hands up in front of my face when I heard a cold voice. It seemed so familiar, and it was almost like it came from everywhere.

"Let the onna go, demon."

The demon lowered his claws and looked around, hesitation on his face.

"Who is that?"

A short figure emerged from the shadows.

"The last thing you'll ever see."

I gasped and stepped backward as I saw a flash of metal and heard the wet sound of blood hitting the pavement. My limbs were shaking violently as I sank to the ground, not caring if it was wet or not. The figure, a man since his voice was deep, a low tenor, turned to me. I winced and closed my eyes.

"P-please! Please don't kill me!"

I heard a sound. A guttural sound of annoyance, and once again, I got the odd feeling of deja vu. He reached his one had toward me.

"Quiet, onna. I'm not going to kill you."

I sat there, wide eyed, trying to gaze into the face of my savior.

"Who are you?"

The man stepped about three inches forward and I saw his face. Such a handsome face. His soft features but a stone cold mask that covered them. Those haunting red eyes that made you shiver. He smirked.

"Funny how baka's forget people so easily."

My eyes widened and for the first time in over forty years, I grinned. Not caring about just who I was grinning and crying to, I leaped and wrapped my arms around the Koorime.

"Hiei! I thought I'd never see you again!"

III

(Hiei's POV)

I was surprised, to say the least, when the onna hugged me. Then again, I thought she had died. If she had protested against the man who was responsible for the death of Koenma, then she wouldn't be alive.

At first, when I heard her voice, I didn't recognize it. It lacked the luster that made it annoyingly unique. When I saw her, for a moment I thought that she was merely a hallucination. But, no, she was very real. And her tears were very real as they soaked into my cloak.

"Onna. Stop crying."

She released me, and she blinked her tears away. Something told me that she had done that many times before because it only took her a few second to clear her face of her despair. She sniffed and looked around.

"What are you doing here, Hiei?" She lowered her voice. "You have to leave right away, it isn't safe!"

I knew that. But, I had business to finish.

"If I show you, you will not be able to go back to Rekai."

She would have to choose her fate. I had no control over what she did.

I watched her pink eyes narrow but then relax as she smiled sadly.

"Show me."

I felt my eyes widen, but soon I wiped my face clean of any emotion. _Fine. If the baka onna wants to ruin her life, then so be it. _I walked and took her hand when I had to jump to the top of a building. It over looked the Rekai Library, stock full of records. My body was not feeling the rush of the hunt. But I did want to do what I was about to do.

Before the blue haired onna could say anything, I raised my right hand. Staring directly at the building, I focused all my demon energy at it. My hand was shaking, and finally, I snapped my fingers.

The onna covered her mouth when the noise of the blast reached us. A series of explosions destroyed the building. Fire engulfed it, and I smirked. My job was done. I turned to her, and she looked at me in horror. Without thinking twice, I grabbed her and vanished.

When we reappeared, we were out of Rekai and in Ningenkai. More specifically, the remains of Genkai's temple. As soon as the onna's feet were on solid ground, she pulled away from me. That was when it happened. Her hand pulled back and then launched itself at my face.

"Why did you do that? It was the Rekai Library!"

I glared at her, not bothering to threaten her.

"Look, onna, it needed to be destroyed."

She trembled and was about to yell at me again when she heard the four pairs of footsteps behind her.

"Shorty, did you bring back a girlfriend?"

The onna paled. It was like she was reliving a dream. She turned slowly and stared. There stood Yusuke Urameshi, Kurama, Keiko, and Jin. Her friends. Friends she hadn't seen in about half a century. They looked the same since she last saw them. Yusuke blinked.

"Botan?"

IV

(Kurama's POV)

It was startling, to say the least, to see the ferry girl they all knew. She was different. Her body had thinned and her dress was now grey. Her eyes looked at them, not believing that they were real. Then her arms started to shake.

She sank to her knees, and Yusuke was by her side in an instant. Tears were running down her cheeks as her breath came in short gasps. Her cheeks were red and her eyes darted around to her friends.

"I-I'm... dizzy..."

And with that, the once bright and cheery ferry girl fainted into Yusuke's arms. While the ex detective brought her to a room, Jin, Hiei, Keiko and I were discussing the situation.

"Hiei, how did you find her?"

Hiei frowned, remembering the incident.

"I was on my way to the Rekai Library. A comber demon had stopped her, and I thought she was just another nigen spirit." He rolled his eyes and ran his clawed fingers through his hair. "But then I saw it was her. Didn't recognize her at first."

Keiko nodded, but then got back to business.

"Did you complete your mission involving the Rekai Library?"

Hiei glared at her and nodded curtly. Kurama and Jin looked at each other and then looked back at Hiei. It was Jin who started the string of statements.

"Well, now that this happened, you know what we have to do."

The team nodded. A year will have to pass before they do it.

"In order to do that, we'll have to stir up the three worlds."

Jin smiled at Keiko, winking playfully.

"Lass, I've got that taken care of."

V

(Botan's POV)

_Warm blankets... and stuffy head. _My eyes fluttered open. I was staring at a white ceiling, and the sheets were smooth.

"Botan, oh I'm glad to see you!"

I found myself in a tight embrace. I blinked through the strands of aqua colored hair and I felt round solid things running down the front of my dress. My voice was hoarse and I felt like I was dreaming.

"Y-Yukina?" The woman pulled back, and I saw the tear gems rolling down her cheeks. My breath caught. _Just like I last saw her... _I pulled her into a fierce hug. "Thank Koenma you're alive!"

She was smiling and she led me out of the room, where I saw Keiko and Kurama smiling at me. I bit my lip as I laughed. For the first time in over forty years, I laughed. Keiko ran to me, hugging me and Kurama patted me on the shoulder, smiling at me warmly. Yusuke threw his arms around me, lifting me off the ground in a ferocious bear hug. Even Hiei smirked in my direction before looking away.

My breaths were coming fast, and that was when I realized something.

"Where are Genkai and Kuwabara?"

Judging by the silence that followed my eager question, I felt my happiness dim. Yukina's face darkened with suppressed depression and Yusuke became somber.

"They were killed by the Rekai police."

I didn't have to ask as to why. Their powers were too high, and they were close to Prince Koenma. They could have been a threat. _But if they killed Genkai and Kuwabara... then... _

"Then... then why are you still alive?"

Yusuke was about to answer, but a grunt of amusement came from Hiei, cutting him off. I looked at the fire demon whose red eyes locked with mine as he smirked dangerously, his fangs showing.

"Onna, did you think that a few weak spirits could bring us down?"

I bit my lip. Well... to be honest I wasn't exactly sure. Yusuke gave a painful smile.

"Hiei's exaggerating. We hid. Pure and simple. He got to Genkai and Kuwabara too late, so he killed the entire squad and joined us underground."

I nodded in understanding and bowed my head in a silent mourn for the death of my two friends. _Koenma, if you can find a way to forgive my soul for not trying to persuade you sooner, could you please look after the souls of Genkai and Kuwabara? Help them past the new way of judgement in Rekai, please._

"So, what's the plan? Why did you blow up the Rekai Library?"

Kurama stepped forward, his red hair and green eyes still giving him that majestic look.

"For a few reasons, Botan. One, we needed all helpful records of our existence erased." He looked around, and when he caught Hiei's gaze, he held it. Then, clearing his throat, he continued. "Two, we are going to send a message." A pause. "A message to the people of Makai, Ningenkai, and Rekai. We're going to destroy the Gates of Rekai and the entire main building."

VI

A/N: What do you think? Please... please tell me! I really want to know! Review! Now! Hahahha just kidding.

-mia


	2. Rekai Always Prevails

A Dark Future : Rekai Always Prevails

A/N: Thanks for the reviews! I really appreciate them. Um, so yeah, this is based off of V for Vendetta if you didn't get that before, so here is the next installment! R&R and Enjoy!

I

(Botan's POV)

I sat alone in the spare room that Yusuke let me use temporarily. _Destroy the Rekai Gates? Are they nuts? They could never pull something like that off! _I frowned and bit my lower lip. _Besides, once they show their faces, the Three Worlds will be looking for them! _

I walked out of my room, wondering what I should do. A big part of me wanted to help them, but a voice told me that I couldn't do a thing for them. I was useless in the situation. I shivered and rubbed my hands together. A silence echoed throughout the hallways and I saw that at television was sitting on a table.

My eyes narrowed. Television was the main way in enforcing order and stability in the Three Worlds. Every home and public place had one. They were always on, and the broadcast station was located Ningenkai.

That was when I saw Yukina shuffle out of a room, yawning. She looked at me and smiled, but something was behind it.

"Good morning, Botan."

It was strange. The entire place was empty. _Where is Keiko? What about Yusuke, Kurama, Jin, and Hiei? _I saw the ice maiden look away from my eyes, a lonely demeanor settling over her features.

"Yukina, what is it?"

She wrung her hands as she looked at the television. The static whispers it was emitting were unnerving. Her eyes flickered to me and that was when I heard a crackle of a show coming on. My pink eyes widened when a red logo appeared. It wasn't just any logo. It was three eyes, the one abnormal one on the top glowing ominously. _The Jagan Eye..._

II

(Normal Point of View... for all Three World Citizens)

"Good morning, world. The Rose, speaking." A man in red robes with a porcelain mask on with a face that made him look wise. "Your own news stations and government claim that the Rekai Library was a planned demolition." A shorter person came onto screen. He was in the blackest robe that it looked blue when it hit the light just right. His mask's expression was unemotional with a slight frown. "I would like to introduce to you the real cause of the destroyed Library, The Sword."

The Rose bowed to the screen and stepped aside, leaving the short Sword alone. His shifted at first, almost as if he didn't want to be there, or it was a bother to him.

"This was brought on by yourselves. Not us. We're doing you baka's a favor."

He paused, and crossed his arms as he walked off screen, muttering baka one last time. There was a rustling and a man dressed in navy blue came out. His mask was laughing and it had red cheeks. The expression was as jolly as Santa Claus.

"Good morning, everyone!" His Irish accent was strangely appealing, so cute and energetic. "I am Wind, so yeah. Today is the fifth of November, and a nigen a long time ago tried to destroy Parliament." A pause and he looked off to the side. "A date that no one remembers anymore, but we assure you that it will be remembered by next year."

He was pulled off screen. Then a man in white came out. His posture was confident with the air of a true King. His mask had an intense look of concentration and power with an impish smile. He crossed his arms and leaned back slightly.

"The next November the fifth will be remembered to all beings of the Three Worlds." The man pointed to himself with his thumb. "I, The Bullet, and my comrades will destroy that Rekai Gates one year from today." His friends gathered back onto screen. "We understand how powerful the almighty Ruler has become."

The Rose cleared his throat.

"It's clear why you fell back so easily." It was a somber and almost piteous tone. "For humans, well, you discovered that there was a God. An afterlife. It's quite an overwhelming realization." Another pause. "The Makai, well, you were threatened and yet offered order and a life with roads paved in gold and riches." A sigh. "Quite far from the truth I'm afraid. Your rights were taken, and many of your lives."

The Bullet clenched his fists.

"If you feel how we feel, if you see what we see, then join us at the Gates of Rekai on November the fifth and witness your chains falling away."

The Sword pulled out a shining katana.

"Until then, goodnight."

A slice destroyed the camera, and the red logo came back up, glowing ominously. A simple video. A group of four with a mission to do the impossible. Bars everywhere were silent and homes were still until the logo left the screen.

III

(Hiei's POV)

I didn't like this idea. It was too risky. I mean, we were in the middle of the most treasured place in the three Worlds! Yusuke seemed confident, but Kurama was uneasy too.

**We are in trouble, aren't we?**

Kurama's green eyes flickered to the Koorime.

**Don't worry. We can handle it.**

My eyes narrowed.

**The situation is about to get complicated, isn't it?**

The fox never answered me. We all turned to the people who had been working in the television station before we showed up. I smirked. I guess you could call them hostages. I approached a fat man, who flinched away from me.

"Put these on, and don't move."

IV

(Normal POV)

The police chief was in the building. He was sweating bullets as he raised his pistol, nodding for the other officers to go in ahead of him. _Sweet Ruler, what the hell is going on? _There were four terrorists inside the room that they were about to burst into. The chief shook himself. They were probably just a couple of postal workers who had a bad day.

_But still... _

They got past the Ruler, at least, the Sword did. They destroyed the Rekai Library, and that took skill and a fierce driven passion. The chief shook himself. Good guys win, bad guys lose, and Rekai always prevails.

_But still... _

They wouldn't think that they were going to die if they planned to destroy the Gates in a year. They had plans for their lives. This wasn't a suicide mission.

The door burst open, and a smoke screen billowed out. The cops coughed, trying to wave the mist away. That was when a shadow moved, and a shot rang out. The chief gasped as the terrorist fell. Judging by the mask, it was the Rose.

With caution, the chief pulled off the mask. To his horror, a man was beneath it, and when the chief ripped open his shirt, he saw a name tag. _Oh God, he's an employee. _The man looked at him, his eyes a bit distant and crazed seeing as he just got shot.

"There's a bomb in the building. This place is going to blow!"

Instantly, more figures moved. All the police officers felt their hearts race in their chests' when they saw many copies of the terrorist's faces. _Dear God. _Many voices cried out. Some were pleas for their life. Others were frantic shouts to warn them about the bomb.

The bomb specialist walked in swiftly, and the chief saw the sweat collecting on his brow. He was still technically a rookie. The chief swallowed the lump in his throat.

"Get everyone out into the hallways! Anyone not wearing a mask is to be escorted from the building!"

There were no people to be escorted. The chief bit his knuckle as he watched all the figures walk out into the hall. They all looked like ghosts with their robes. That was when it happened. One Sword fell, and a Rose yelled, his chest rising and falling rapidly as he screamed.

"IT'S HIM, THAT'S HIM!" Instantly, all guns were focused on the screaming man. He dropped to his knees, crying and sobbing like a pathetic fool. "Please, dear God..."

The police took off his mask, and saw a man. An employee. The room suddenly got warmer, and they heard the whisper of metal as they turned to see the Sword drawing his katana. He didn't make a sound as he slaughtered them, making sure that their last memories were of his mask.

V

(Botan's POV)

"Oh Enma..."

I was astonished. They did it. They really did it. My heart was racing as I struggled to grasp what had just happened on three worldwide television. I couldn't help but smile when I heard the voices of my friends, but I knew that the Rekai and Ningenkai police were on their way.

"Oh dear." It was Yukina's soft voice brought me out of my little space out. I bit my lip and thought for a long moment. "Do you think that they are going to make it out alive?"

I didn't know. I had seen what the Rekai police would do to criminals. Especially big time criminals. They would torture them. And not in the way that everyone thinks, by hurting them. Most of it was psychological, making your worst nightmares become your everyday reality.

"Of course! They are the ex-Rekai Tentei." I felt my heart clench at the thought of my closest friends... my only friends having to go through the Rekai punishment. "They have to."

I wrung my hands, denying my tears the release they craved. _They are our only hope... _

VI

(Hiei's POV)

Kurama and Yusuke took their sweet time revealing themselves. We left the bomb nigen alive so the truth would get out to the Ruler. I gritted my teeth in anger just thinking about him. _That bastard... _

He had taken Shizuru. Normally, this wouldn't affect me, but Kurama... the kitsune... well, I was afraid that he lost it for a second.

They had been lovers. I was... happy for them? Something like that. They were mates. That made it even worse for the fox.

It was great at the beginning. They were head-over-heels in love. At first I thought it was sickening, but it turned out that they really did balance each other out.

Then the cleansing happened. Shizuru was out buying food for us, and she was taken. Many people were. People of a different race, but that was only for the nigens. Homosexuals. Transsexuals. The diseased. And, nigens who were in love or mated with demons.

Someone saw the mark on her neck. The called the police, and just like that, she was gone.

Kurama took it hard. He barely ate anything and he stopped talking for three years. He moved out of his room and stayed with me, which I didn't protest to. Sometimes he would wake me up in the middle of the night for various reasons.

Sometimes he would be crying. Sobbing uncontrollably under the covers. Or I would see him staring ahead at the wall, not blinking. Other times he would shake me awake, and hug me. I almost pushed him off the first time, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. I would never know the pain of losing a mate, seeing as I don't have one.

Then, three years later, he started talking again. It threw everyone off, but I knew that he had to. He was killing himself, and I guess he decided that he would live and fight for her. For the memory of his love.

Now, I don't believe in love. Not for me, anyway.

When we walked back into the temple, Yukina threw her arms around me, relieved to see all of us still alive. I took off my mask, and for a split second, I felt my lips curve upwards into a... smile.

I looked around, and no one saw. That was until I saw the ferry girl. She was crying, her shoulders shaking, but she smiled at me knowingly. _Baka onna. _

She didn't hug me. She only smiled through her tears with relief. I have no idea why she would care of I died. _She was worried because she cares about you. _I narrowed my eyes. _She shouldn't care about me. _

_But she does. _

VII

A/N: Hey! I had to end it there. A bit of romance, and some action... kinda... please review! Please? And thanks for your reviews on the first chapter! Woot! See ya later!

-mia


	3. Loveless Land

A Dark Future : Loveless Land

A/N: I know I haven't updated in FOREVER, but hey, I kinda thought that no one liked this, so I stopped. Haha, I guess I was wrong. Anyway, I don't know if this is going to work, but I'll update for you guys. Thanks. Read and Review!

I

(Flashback, Normal POV)

_It's funny, the way that we can remember certain things and others we can't. Yukina's memory of the Koorime Island was fading away fast. Her days as a child were fuzzy, too. What Yukina **can **remember is meeting Kazuma Kuwabara. _

_He had always been so nice to her, even though she was invading their group. With Kurama and Hiei being ex-thieves and Yusuke a Spirit Detective, it was only natural that ice maiden felt a bit out of place. Sure, Botan was her best friend, and the entire group was very hospitable, but there was that lack of placement for her. _

_But Kuwabara didn't care. _

_At first, the Koorime didn't think twice about his funny way of flirting with her. She just thought he was being nice so she wouldn't feel so alone. It was a Christmas, a long time ago, that he had kissed her. _

_It was back when Koenma was alive. Before all the demon cleansing. Before all the nigens and demons that remained were enslaved. _

_It was odd. They had been caught under some plant, and according to nigen rituals, you had to kiss before you were able to move again. Hiei almost killed the piece of vegetation, but Yusuke tackled him to the floor. This gave Kuwabara just enough time to chastely kiss Yukina on the lips._

_He had been so red. _

_After that, they officially considered themselves a couple. Each smile and kiss was a moment that Yukina always treasured. _

_Just ten years before Koenma died, they mated by demon ritual. This made Kuwabara's age lock. They would both live very long lives together, and it was great because they were in **love**. _

_It was when Koenma died that everything crumbled. _

_The skies rained blood down on the cities. Nigens and demons alike stared up into the skies with confusion written on all of their faces. Out of the clouds soared soldiers. They swooped down like falcons, killing everything in their path._

_They didn't have a purpose when they began. It was just a slaughter. Genocide. Yukina was outside of the temple at the time. Her hair was sticky with dried blood, and she turned to see Kazuma running at her. He was screaming something. _

_He picked her up. He told her about some place in the woods to go to, but Yukina wasn't listening. A loud siren was heard, and the soldiers started to come down from the Heavens. He dropped her and said he would distract them. _

_Hiei appeared. He was covered in the blood that fell from the sky. He gazed at her and just told her to run. Yukina was frozen. Kazuma leaped at the men, his spirit sword glowing. _

_Hiei came to his aid, and for a while, everything was good. They were winning. _

_That was when a man came from behind Kazuma. Her mate. Hiei was busy with six of them, and it only took one to kill the love of her life. He had been stabbed through the back._

_Their swords were covered in a new poison developed by Rekai scientists. It instantly melts away the skin. Instant decay._

_Yukina screamed. Her voice was shrill and high. It pierced through the pouring blood. She saw Hiei's eyes widen as he just watched as Kuwabara fell to the ground. Something snapped inside the fire demon and he killed everything in about two seconds. _

_He panted as he touched Kazuma, telling him to wake up. He screamed his name with fury, telling him he would kill him if he didn't wake up. He shook him. He punched him. Yukina saw that his face contort with such terrible grief. His face was never wet with tears though. _

_He said, "For Yukina's sake, wake the fuck up!"_

_Nothing._

_Kazuma was dead. _

II

(Botan's POV)

Dinner was short and sweet. I made spaghetti and soup. Yusuke bragged about how cowardly the guards were. Hiei just swirled his noodles around with his fork. Yukina was still a bit shaky from her nerves being shot.

Kurama said that their message probably hit home for a lot of people. I believe him, seeing how he **_is _**a genius and all. After dinner was over, everyone just head to bed. That didn't bother me much. It had been a stressing day.

I pulled back the sheets and closed my pink eyes. I let down my hair and snuggled into the single pillow.

Darkness consumed me when I felt a soft shake. My eyes fluttered open to see Yusuke, Kurama, and Hiei all were all sitting at the base of my bed. Hiei was cold and distant while Kurama was frowning lightly.

"Onna, your face is on the television."

I was instantly awake.

"What?"

Yusuke ran his fingers through his slightly longer black hair.

"It's seems that Rekai cameras saw were able to get a lock on your face when Hiei blew the Rekai Library to hell."

Kurama blinked.

"You're a wanted criminal now."

For some reason, this didn't really bother me. I let out a breath as I shrugged.

"That does suck, but... I mean... can I stay here?"

Yusuke nodded.

"Of course!" The ex-detective ruffled my hair. "Just... thought you ought to know."

There was an odd silence. Yusuke left, soon followed by Kurama. Hiei was about leave when he stopped suddenly. It was odd, the frown on his face.

"Onna..." He never looked at me. "Sorry about... getting you involved."

At first, I could barely breathe. He apologized... to **_me_**!

"Oh, I uh, it's okay." He finally turned to me, looking at me like I had lost half of my mind. "No, really! Being a fugitive is better than... working under... **_Him._**"

I scowled, feeling a sour taste in my mouth just at thinking of the new ruler. We both just stared at each other, and Hiei's face relaxed. If I didn't know any better, it seemed he was content.

"Hn." He turned away again and spoke down the hall. "Good."

III

(Hiei's POV)

I stayed up with Kurama and Yusuke. I ate little and I wasn't tired. I'm rarely tired anymore. The ex-detective turned on the picture box. To my astonishment, the baka ferry onna's smiling face on the screen. She was the most wanted criminal in all of Rekai.

Botan had been blamed for... blowing up the Rekai Library.

For a few seconds, I couldn't breathe. _That crime was **mine**! Not hers, **mine**! _Kurama turned it off and we hurried into her room. She didn't seem all that crushed, actually.

It was later, however, when she told me that being a criminal was better than staying in the corrupt Rekai, I... was... I'm not sure.

It felt odd. Warm.

After leaving her room I walked into the room that Kurama and I shared. He was still awake.

"She took it well, huh?"

"Hn."

He turned over on his stomach as I took off my shirt.

"Do you think we're going to do it, Hiei?"

I smirked in the quiet dark.

"What do you think, fox?"

The kitsune was silent for a bit.

"People are tired of being constantly afraid of dying." He sighed. "It's already begun, our revolution."

"Afraid of dying? Everyone dies."

"Yes, but not by soldiers."

I pulled back the blankets and punched my pillow once.

"Kurama, I have a question, and it doesn't have to do with Rekai or a revolution."

"What is it?"

I took a few breaths.

"Is... is it hard to... to lose a mate?" Kurama didn't move or say anything. "You don't have t–"

"Yes." I didn't look at him, just bringing the sheets closer to me. "It makes you want to die."

I didn't _want _to ask the question, but I _had _to.

"Is it... possible to... recover?"

Another long silence.

"Some have said so." He turned over. "I wouldn't know."

IV

A/N: Sorry that I ended it early. I haven't thought about this story for while. So, if you want more, review. Also, please drop a note for Cynical Santa. If you have the time. I might take a while updating this one, but not years or three months. So, yeah. Thanks for reading, see you all later!

-mia


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